SpaceX called off a rocket launch for NASA on Wednesday that would’ve been the first time astronauts launched into space from US soil since 2011 and the first time ever that a privately developed spacecraft took humans into Earth’s orbit. The mission would have taken NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken to the International Space Station, but it was called off 17 minutes before liftoff because of weather conditions. The launch is now slated for this Saturday. In this hour, we’ll discuss where SpaceX stands with regard to the launch and what the mission means for the future of space exploration.
Historic SpaceX Launch Set to Saturday
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The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon spacecraft sits at the Kennedy Space Center on May 27, 2020 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were scheduled to be the first people since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 to be launched into space from the United States, but the launch was postponed due to bad weather. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images)
Guests:
Scott Hubbard, professor of aeronautics and astronautics, Stanford University; former director, NASA Ames
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